Onekama Consolidated Schools is located in rural Manistee County
along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The school district encompasses
90 square miles and serves 400 students K-12 in one building
including 25 instructional staff member, 20 support staff and 2.0
administrators.

School Buildings

Onekama Consolidated Schools

5016 Main Street

Onekama, MI 49675

Superintendent (231) 889-4251

Onekama K-12 Student Services Office (231)
889-5521

Onekama Consolidated School’s Mission
Statement

Onekama
Consolidated Schools, in cooperation with staff, parents and
community, is dedicated to ensuring that all students master
essential academic, career awareness and employability skills in
order to be prepared for their next educational level or work and
become productive contributing citizens.

School Technology Committee

The process for
selecting committee members is based on both voluntary and
invitation to insure a good cross section of disciplines and
assignments. Duties of the committee members are three fold: One,
provide input on what is needed, desired and what is working
technologically; two, to act as disseminators of information; and
three, provide feedback to the committee during the evaluation
process. Because this plan is a “living document”, each year after
evaluating technology progress toward goals and assessment of needs,
the technology plan is revised, taken to the Board of Education, and
approved.

Bonnie Brown
Elementary Teacher

Liz
Coryell
Middle/High School Special Education

John
Neph Middle
School Teacher

Barbara
Eldridge Webmaster

Kathy Joseph Middle
School/High School Teacher

Dave Baldner High
School Teacher

Ben Mauntler
Elementary School Teacher

Dana Woolman K-12 Arts
Teacher

Bruce Peabody
Technology Coordinator

Vision and Goals

Introduction

Onekama Consolidated Schools believe technology is one of many
tools that teachers and students use to increase their maximum
learning potential. Technology should be seamlessly integrated with
the academic core curriculum, authentic instruction and student
learning. When achieved, the focus of the teaching and learning
process remains on the content and the tools of technology become
transparent. With this vision in mind, we move forward.

This
document is a dynamic document that reflects where we have been,
where we are, and where we are heading. It is intended to serve as
a guide for the future. Each year the Technology Committee will
evaluate the progress we have made toward our goals, review other
pertinent documents, and outline a plan of action.

District technology vision/mission statement:

We plan to
continue providing technology access within classrooms as well as
our special-use labs, electronic media center resource areas and the
distance-learning classroom. Our objective is to immerse children
in the use of technology as a tool, which closely relates to how the
way the rest of the world uses technology. Our school has become a
model for technology implementation, where children develop a
responsibility to share their knowledge and accomplishments, and use
technology to improve their skills. Teachers are recognized as
leaders in the effective use of technology in the classroom.

Major
goals of the technology plan:

Goal I.
{MG1} Expand and upgrade infrastructure equipment, computers, and
telecommunications equipment within the school by providing
state-of-the-art technology including provisions for maintenance,
repair and support of all existing services.

GOAL
II.
{MG2} Expand and enhance curriculum through the use of technology
for the entire school and community with special emphasis on the
school improvement goals.

GOAL III.
{MG3} Improve collaborative efforts globally and strengthen
communications between all members of the school-community.

GOAL IV.
{MG4} Provide professional development opportunities to all staff
through workshops, one on one mentoring with trained staff, and
opportunity to attend conferences.

Evaluation:

There will
be an annual review of the technology plan conducted by the School
Technology Committee. Conduct annual surveys measuring student
achievement to determine progress toward reaching technology
benchmarks. Teachers will be surveyed annually to determine
professional development needs and interests.

Specific Objectives:

1.Upgrade PowerSchool student management software to the
Premier level which will be done county wide basis.

2.Continue with Orchard updates, utilizing it to diagnose
skills across the curriculum, as well as, provide students extra
drill materials to improve performance as per our schools
improvement goals.

3.Send a team of teachers to the MACUL Conference to empower
the teaching staff to integrate technology into the classroom.

4.Expand and maintain wireless network throughout the building.

5.Align curriculum to include “Technology Content Standards and
Benchmarks”.

6.Extend and enhance after-school/summer programs that involve
the use of technology facilities.

7.Principal to include technology goals as part of the
teacher’s improvement plans on an annual basis.

8.Consider replacement of computers and related peripheral
equipment as needed for teachers and students.

9.Continue to purchase computers with minimum of 3 year all
parts and labor warranty.

10.Services of a Technology Coordinator, whether as an employee
or by service contract to provide the following services:

a.Network administration.

b.Installation and configuration of all software.

c.Coordinate training of staff and faculty

d.Design technology devices and systems to insure ease of use
and economical use of resources.

e.Coordinate the Technology Committee

f.Supervise the high school Tech Squad

11.Develop policies that manage technological resources of the
school, consistent with federal and state rules and regulations.

12.Maintain fiber optic internet
connection and agreement connecting all county schools with the
Manistee Intermediate School District.

I.
Curriculum

A. Curriculum
Integration

The National
Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for students is the product
of the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE)
initiative to develop national standards for educational uses for
technology that facilitate school improvement in the Untied States.
Through integration into the curriculum, the standards can be met
while addressing district, state, and national curriculum
standards. There are six categories to which performance indicators
are linked:

1.Basic Operations and Concepts

2.Social, Ethical and Human Issues

3.Technology Productivity Tools

4.Technology Communication Tools

5.Technology Research Tools

6.Technology Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Tools

The Michigan
State Board of Education has developed two documents that provided
us with guidance in establishing minimal student expectation for
computer education and the integration of technology into all
curricula. They are the “Technology Standards and Benchmarks”
and “Instructional Technology Across the Curriculum”.
“Technology Standards and Benchmarks” specify what students must
know and be able to do, as they progress through school.
“Instructional Technology Across the Curriculum” provides
guidance to integrate technology into the various curricula areas.

Onekama
Consolidated Schools is making efforts to reference the NETS
performance indicators and the Michigan Technology Standards and
Benchmarks. It is our firm belief that students must acquire the
appropriate technology skill so that they are adequately prepared
for life beyond OCS.

·Conduct annual
assessment of technology equipment and use by teacher.

·An annual budget
should exist for updating instructional software.

·Any Curriculum
Committee should include two members (one elementary and one
secondary) assigned as the technology advocate and/or “mentor” for
that committee.

·Teams will develop
plans for the ongoing integration of technology. As educators
develop management schemes for the use of technology, these should
be modeled and shared.

·Ensure the level of
technology is appropriate to the learning situation and grade level.

·Develop a
computer/technology curriculum for grades K-12 and align with the
“Technology Standards and Benchmarks” and “Instructional
Technology Across the Curriculum” guidelines.

·Students will use
technology to access information.

·Students will learn to
apply appropriate technology to complete a task/job.

·Students will use
computers to solve problems and utilize applications in personal and
financial issues.

·Establish specific
programs, with integrated technology, to address special needs,
including extended learning time, special education programs,
mathematics tutorials, or phonics development systems.

The computer
and other interactive technologies can bring a learning advantage to
the classroom. The purpose is to use technology to:

·Raise academic
achievement

·Improve learning
efficiency

·Increase student
motivation

·Provide alternative
learning strategies

·Improve teaching

Quality
Indicators for Curriculum Development and Technology:

·The goals and
performance indicators drive the design of the curriculum for
student learning in technologies that have been defined by the
district.

·The curriculum is
clearly articulated and supports and shared vision for student
learning.

·The school is
committed to the on-going evaluation and renewal of the curriculum.

·The curriculum takes
advantage of integrating technology into instructional strategies
and empowering teachers to provide students with learning
experiences that would be impossible or difficult to achieve without
technology resources.

·Assessments are
employed to evaluate students’ achievement in the core curriculum
and skills they need to achieve in technology.

·Technology resources
are employed to strengthen the system of assessing student learning.

·Effective
instructional strategies are employed to help students understand
and apply technology.

B.
Student Achievement

Onekama
Consolidated Schools offer students opportunities for improvement,
credit recovery and skill building using technology.

C. Technology Delivery

Our dual
enrollment collaboration with WSCC allows student to receive up to
18 college credits using video conferencing. On-line course
offerings are also available.

D. Parental Communication and Community
Relations

Communication
via periodic student progress reports is given to parents along with
the opportunity during parent teacher conferences twice a year.
PowerSchool web‑based student database was purchased in 2005 and
upgraded 2008. It allows teachers to submit assignments and track
attendance and grading online. Parents will be able to view their
children’s attendance, class assignments and grades in a secure
environment starting January 2006. Continued refinement of our
20,000 + page web site is one of the finest communication tools we
utilize at present. The schools’ daily bulletins are being posted
on the PowerSchool site.

Sharing our
technology resources with the community has always been a local goal
with both in school and after-school programs. Expand computer
class offerings for adults in our Community Ed Program.

E. Collaboration

Over the years
Onekama Consolidated Schools has worked diligently to collaborate
with local, county, regional and state organizations to generate
resources for technology-based opportunities. The students, staff
and community have been able to benefit from the various
partnerships.

One of
the responsibilities of the technology coordinator is to coordinate
professional development for staff to keep up with the ever-changing
technology expected of our teachers and office staff according to
the teacher technology expectations defined by the State of
Michigan. Activities facilitating this are accomplished through the
following means:

·Measuring improvement
of technology knowledge through an annual survey of teacher needs
and self-assessment.

·Access to countywide
technology training offered by the Manistee ISD.

·Building principal’s
inclusion and follow up of technology goals in the teacher
improvement process.

·Access to
instructional software and tutorials.

·Building mentoring
groups for various software packages within the school community
i.e. – PowerGrade.

·One on one, group
training and focus sessions conducted by the Technology Coordinator.

·Encouragement to
showcase technology skills by presenting at state conferences,
mentoring other teachers or acting as countywide resource.

·Labs as follows: 25
high school lab, 5 station music keyboard lab, 26 station elementary
lab, 30 station media center lab, 25 stations middle school lab, and
many small computer carrels and/or mobile laptop carts located
throughout building.

·Technical support is
managed by email, voicemail, and personal contact with technology
Coordinator or written notes.

Future
Infrastructure Plans:

·Maintenance of
school-wide wireless system to accommodate all areas of the school.

·Updated lease
agreements for equipment so that computers and peripherals are
up-to-date and under warranty.

·Continue to purchase
only equipment that meets our standardization and quality profile.

·Continuance of
technical support currently in place.

·Continue with our
countywide consortium designed to efficiently use our WAN for
connectivity to video conferencing, Internet, filter, email system
and other resources.

I. Increase Access

Currently all teachers and staff
have a dedicated computer to utilize. Excluding staff and faculty
computers, our student to computer ratio is better than 2:1. All
are connected to our network with access to Internet and file server
resources. Our facilities are open for student and community use
from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday during the school
year.

IV.
Funding and Budget

An attempt has been made to be as
specific as possible to implement schedules, budget requirements,
and funding resources. Each spring an evaluation of progress will be
examined and revisions of objectives will take place. A revised
implementation schedule will be published annually.

The overall plan for financing
technology at Onekama Consolidated Schools involves the following:

·
Middle School, High School, Elementary School, Faculty, Staff
computers, software and peripherals are purchased, usually on a 4
year rotation.

·
Technology Coordinator, funds for maintenance, and repairs are
funded through the general fund, and other grant programs.

· Internet and filter
costs are funded by the general fund. As an addition to our budget,
we intend to supplement our school funding each year by applying to
the Universal Service Fund. These services provide us with
day-to-day essential operations and are not necessarily specifically
shown in our technology plan. We will request funding for the
following services:

·
Special software purchases are funded by other grants i.e. Learn and
Serve and 21st Century.

Onekama Consolidated Schools is
constantly looking for alternative funding sources to keep up with
technology including Technology Literacy Grants provided by the
federal government through the State of Michigan.

The evaluation process of the
technology plan must incorporate input from the teachers and
administrators if they are expected to take ownership of the plan.

The Technology Committee will
evaluate the plan three ways:

1. Faculty and staff surveys
focusing on the following:

·Did the person
participate in any training opportunities?

·Did the training
opportunity(s) help the person to gain more technology-related
skills?

·Did the person include
technology-related activities in her/her lesson plans?

·How responsive were
the students to the technology-related activities?

·Did the integration of
technology into the classroom improve the student or staff
competence with technology?

·What pilots and/or
projects for the utilization of technology in learning are being
created due to technology training?

·What technology tools
are being integrated into new and existing curriculum and
instruction because of additional technology training?

Each spring surveys will be given to
all teachers, administrators, and office staff. The Technology
Committee will generate a detailed analysis of the surveys and the
professional development portion of the plan. A report will be
given to the School Board.

2.Tracking of
expenditures:

The Technology Committee, the
building principals and the superintendent will work together to
ensure that the technology-related needs of all school staff are
being met. If necessary, the district’s priorities will be
re-evaluated so that money can be reallocated to best meet the needs
of the district.

3.Building Principals evaluate how the teachers have integrated
technology into the curriculum:

Teacher reviews will include an
evaluation of how technology was used in the classroom and how
responsive the students were to the use of technology.

The superintendent will receive a
report once a year which will describe the status of the existing
hardware and software and the needs of the district.

Technology Committee
responsibilities:

Each year the existing program needs
will be assessed and restructured. The Technology Committee will
meet on a quarterly basis to review the district’s progress in
meeting the Technology Plan goals, to consider new technologies, to
update the Technology Plan.

In the Spring of each year, the technology team will meet with and
or survey all teachers, staff, and administrators.

This information will be analyzed by
the Technology Coordinator. The coordinator will then finalize this
report, which will be shared with the Superintendent. Finally, the
adjustment to the Technology Plan will be submitted to the School
Board for approval and implementation.

District Staff responsibilities:

It is also important to remember
that the Educational Technology Standards and Expectations for all
teachers need to be a part of the staff evaluation process. It was
suggested that each teacher identify two annual personal technology
goals: one addressing a technology skill, the other addressing the
integration of technology into their teaching. At the end of each
school year, the teachers would be asked to complete a
self-evaluation to document if each, or both, of the goals were met.

Student Environment:

Implement technology across the
curriculum. Evaluation based on Michigan State Board of Education
“Technology Standards and Benchmarks”.

To access
e-mail and/or the Internet at school, students under the age of
eighteen (18) must obtain parent permission and must sign and return
this form. Students eighteen (18) and over may sign their own
forms.

Use of the
Internet is a privilege, not a right. The Board’s Internet
connection is provided for educational purposes only. Unauthorized
and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of this
privilege.

{Federal Law
requires the Onekama Consolidated School District to filter Internet
access as stated in the Children’s Internet Protection Act (Pub.L.
106-554).} The Board has
implemented technology protection measures which block/filter
Internet access to visual displays that are obscene, child
pornography or harmful to minors. The Board also monitors online
activity of students in an effort to restrict access to child
pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable,
inappropriate and/or harmful to minors. Nevertheless,
parents/guardians are advised that determined users may be able to
gain access to information, communication and/or services on the
Internet which the Board of Education has not authorized for
educational purposes and/or which they and/or their
parents/guardians may find inappropriate, offensive, objectionable
or controversial. Parents/Guardians assume this risk by consenting
to allow their students to participate in the use of the Internet.
Student’s accessing the Internet through the school’s computers
assume personal responsibility and liability, both civil and
criminal, for unauthorized or inappropriate use of the Internet.

The Board has
the right to monitor, review and inspect any directories, files
and/or messages residing on or sent using the Board’s
computers/networks. Messages relating to or in support of illegal
activities will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

Please
complete the following information:

Student User’s
Full Name (please
print):________________________________________________

As the
parent/guardian of this student, I have read the Student Network and
Internet Acceptable Use and Safety Policy and Guidelines, and have
discussed them with my child. I understand that student access to
the Internet is designed for educational purposes and that the Board
has taken available precautions to restrict and/or control student
access to material on the Internet that is obscene, objectionable,
inappropriate and/or harmful to minors. However, I recognize that
it is impossible for the Board to restrict access to all
objectionable and/or controversial materials that may be found on
the Internet. I will not hold the Board (or any of its employees,
administrators or officers) responsible for materials my child may
acquire or come in contact with while on the Internet.
Additionally, I accept responsibility for communicating to my child
guidance concerning his/her acceptable use of the Internet – i.e.,
setting and conveying standards for my daughter/son to follow when
selecting, sharing and exploring information and resources on the
Internet. I further understand that individuals and families may be
liable for violations.

To the extent
that proprietary rights in the design of a web site hosted on the
Board’s servers would vest in my child upon creation, I agree to
assign those rights to the Board.

Please check
each that applies:

____ I give permission for my
child to use and access the Internet at school and for the Board to
issue an internet/e-mail account to my child.

____ I give permission for my
child’s image (photograph) to be published online, provided only
his/her first name is used.

____ I give permission for the
Board to transmit “live” images of my child (as part of a group)
over the Internet via a web cam.

____ I authorize and license the
Board to post my child’s class work on the Internet without
infringing upon any copyright my child may own with respect to such
class work. I understand only my child’s first name will accompany
such class work.

I have read and
agree to abide by the Student Network and Internet Acceptable Use
and Safety Policy and Guidelines. I understand that any violation
of the terms and conditions set forth in the Policy and Guidelines
is inappropriate and may constitute a criminal offense. As a user
of the Board’s computers/network and the Internet, I agree to
communicate over the Internet and the Network in an appropriate
manner, honoring all relevant laws, restrictions and guidelines.

Teachers and building
principals are responsible for determining what is unauthorized or
inappropriate use. The principal may deny, revoke or suspend access
to the Network/Internet to individuals who violate the Board’s
Student Network and Internet Acceptable Use and Safety Policy
and related Guidelines, and take such other disciplinary
action as is appropriate pursuant to the Student Code of Conduct.

Copyright
NEOLA 2003

Student Network & Internet
Acceptable Use and Safety

Advances in
telecommunications and other related technologies have fundamentally
altered the ways in which information is accessed, communicated, and
transferred in our society. Such changes are driving the need for
educators to adapt their means and methods of instruction, and the
way they approach student learning, to harness and utilize the vast,
diverse, and unique resources available on the Internet. The Board
of Education is pleased to provide Internet services to its
students. The Board encourages students to utilize the Internet in
order to promote educational excellence in our schools by providing
them with the opportunity to develop the resource sharing,
innovation, and communication skills and tools which will be
essential to life and work in the 21st century. The
instructional use of the Internet will be guided by the Board’s
policy on Instructional Materials.

The Internet is
an electronic highway connecting computers and users in the District
with computers and users worldwide. Access to the Internet enables
students to explore thousands of libraries, databases, and bulletin
boards, while exchanging messages with people throughout the world.
Access to such an incredible quantity of information and resources
brings with it, however, certain unique challenges.

First, and
foremost, the Board may not be able to technologically limit access
to services through the Board’s Internet connection to only those
that have been authorized for the purpose of instruction, study and
research related to the curriculum. Unlike in the past when
educators and community members had the opportunity to review and
screen materials to assess their appropriateness for supporting and
enriching the curriculum according to adopted guidelines and
reasonable selection criteria (taking into account the varied
instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental
levels of the students who would be exposed to them), access to the
Internet, because it serves as a gateway to any publicly available
file server in the world, will open classrooms and students to
electronic information resources which have not been screened by
educators for use by students of various ages.

The Board has
implemented technology protection measures which block/filter
Internet access to visual displays that are obscene, child
pornography or harmful to minors. The Board utilizes software
and/or hardware to monitor online activity of students to restrict
access to child pornography and other material that is obscene,
objectionable, inappropriate and/or harmful to minors.
Nevertheless, parents/guardians are advised that a determined user
may be able to gain access to services on the Internet that the
Board has not authorized for educational purposes. In fact, it is
impossible to guarantee students will not gain access through the
Internet to information and communications that they and/or their
parents/guardians may find inappropriate, offensive, objectionable
or controversial. Parents/Guardians assume risks by consenting to
allow their child to participate in the use of the Internet.
Parents/Guardians of minors are responsible for setting and
conveying the standards that their children should follow when using
the Internet. The Board supports and respects each family’s right
to decide whether to apply for independent student access to the
Internet.

The
Superintendent is directed to prepare guidelines which address
students’ safety and security while using e-mail, chat rooms and
other forms of direct electronic communications, and prohibit
disclosure of personal identification information of minors and
unauthorized access (e.g., “hacking”) and other unlawful activities
by minors online.

Building
principals are responsible for providing training so that Internet
users under their supervision are knowledgeable about this policy
and its accompanying guidelines. The Board expects that staff
members will provide guidance and instruction to students in the
appropriate use of the Internet. All Internet users (and their
parents if they are minors) are required to sign a written agreement
to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy and its
accompanying guidelines.

Students and
staff members are responsible for good behavior on the Board’s
computers/network and the Internet just as they are in the
classrooms, school hallways, and other school premises and school
sponsored events. Communications on the Internet are often public
in nature. General school rules for behavior and communication
apply. The Board does not sanction any use of the Internet that is
not authorized by or conducted strictly in compliance with this
policy and its accompanying guidelines. Users who disregard this
policy and its accompanying guidelines may have their use privileges
suspended or revoked, and disciplinary action taken against them.
Users granted access to the Internet through the Board’s computers
assumes personal responsibility and liability, both civil and
criminal, for uses of the Internet not authorized by this Board
policy and its accompanying guidelines.

The Board
designates the Superintendent and Technology Coordinator as the
administrators responsible for initiating, implementing, and
enforcing this policy and its accompanying guidelines as they apply
to the use of the Network and the Internet for instructional
purposes.